By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Subscribe now to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. “Is it possible to be astonished and, at the same time, not surprised?” A colleague recalled that quote — by … Continue reading The role of religion in President Donald Trump’s tragic last stand

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. “A medical miracle.” In a Friday night video, that’s how President Donald Trump characterized the first COVID-19 vaccine approved by the U.S. government. “We have delivered a safe and effective vaccine in … Continue reading Trump calls COVID-19 vaccine ‘a medical miracle,’ but many religious people are skeptical

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. First New York. Now California. With the addition of a fifth, solidly conservative member — new Justice Amy Coney Barrett — the U.S. Supreme Court has flipped the script on months of … Continue reading Justices flip the script on COVID-19 worship bans, but top health official urges closures

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. In the 2020 election, what happened with the religious vote that was seen as so crucial to President Donald Trump’s upset win four years ago? Take your pick: • Not much changed, … Continue reading Lies, damned lies, statistics: For Biden, religious vote was crucial — maybe

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. (ANALYSIS) This time, the Democrats avoided the dogma. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett’s faith was a big focus going into this week’s Senate Judicial Committee hearings. In advance of the confirmation … Continue reading No anti-Catholic sequel: Democrats avoid the dogma at Barrett’s hearings

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death and President Donald Trump’s plan to nominate a replacement before the election dominated the week’s headlines. Beyond the politics, questions arose over whether journalists applied … Continue reading Double standard? Religion figures differently in news of Ginsburg and Barrett